Walking Commentary
Thoughts and cycling from Manchester to Rome in 2023
I have lots of reason to like this picture. Chief among them is that it’s of an echium that lived in our front garden for the usual 18 months. It came from the first seed that germinated, sprouted, grew and thrived from a batch of seeds that was given to us by a very keen gardener and friend who died earlier this year.
I really don’t know why I like this photo of schoolboys I took this day seven years ago.
I come from an island where bigotry was entrenched. I grew up with bigotry occupying the thoughts of many who surrounded me. So many forms of bigotry that today we break them out into prejudices that can be defined and proscribed in law. I don’t think that one or two generations is enough to purge any society of bigots. Time may work but I doubt prejudice can disappear. To be human is to want to belong to families, tribes, corporations, gangs, nations, isms and factions.
I would have written about the necessary culling of a tree in our front garden, but Libran Writer did it so much better that I’ll help you jump to her post.
I’ve gone down another rabbit hole with Bill Bryson. I’ve been along for the ride with him several times as he made ‘notes’ from small islands and big continents. And his idea of a history of nearly everything was great fun. His idea for The Body as A Guide for Occupants has been as enjoyable and informative a read as any of his books.
I wonder if McPlant can save the world? I’ll bet the CEO has the same question. One company’s sales of 75 burgers per second represents a lot of slaughter. And there are many burger outlets across the globe. And we all know that abattoirs aren’t nice places. Perhaps that’s why so many humans close their eyes when they bite into the machine ground flesh between breads. Industrial death is surely as unacceptable for animals as for humans?
